A senior Scottish Labour councillor has resigned from the party as he condemned Sir Keir Starmer’s “brutal putdown” of the oil and gas industry.
Barney Crockett had two spells as his local party leader and served as Aberdeen City Council leader between 2012 and 2014.
However veteran councillor confirmed to Aberdeen and Grampian’s Chamber of Commerce that he could not support Labour’s decision to ban new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.
Mr Crockett said Sir Keir’s plans, which were announced in Edinburgh on Monday, were made without any consultation with local party members.
I have been left stunned and bemused by the events of the last few weeks— Barney Crockett
In what he described as the “final straw”, Mr Crockett went on to say: “I have been left stunned and bemused by the events of the last few weeks.
“The Labour leadership has made crucial decisions about the future of the UK, decisions focused on this area, without contacting anyone from this area or from the local Labour party.”
He added: “Margaret Thatcher never delivered a more brutal putdown of an industry than that delivered by Keir Starmer in Edinburgh.
“Moreover, he avoided answering any direct questions about Aberdeen. Rather, he deflected to Anas Sarwar who made no specific response about the city.”
The Labour plans have sparked anger from trade union backers amid fears of job losses – however, Sir Keir insisted failing to progress with the clean energy transition would represent a missed opportunity for British workers.
He set out the party’s green energy plans which included proposals to cut bills and create jobs – promising 50,000 jobs in Scotland alone.
Sir Keir also confirmed the party’s proposed public body GB Energy would be based in Scotland.
But Mr Crockett, who represents the Dyce, Bucksburn and Danestone constituency, he had to quit the party to speak out against the proposals.
“This was not done at all lightly,” he said. “It had nothing to do with friends and close colleagues in the Labour group.
“No-one has greater respect than I for all of what Labour has achieved for this city over the last 130 years.
“However, I felt I could not in all conscience say what I believe about the wider situation whilst remaining in the group.
“The area needs to fight with vigour to have some control of its own destiny.”
In response to Mr Crockett’s resignation, net zero spokeswoman for Scottish Labour Sarah Boyack said: “Oil and gas will continue to play a vital part in the UK’s energy industry for decades to come.
“Labour’s transformational energy plans will make Scotland a world-leader in clean energy and will deliver jobs and prosperity to Scotland – including the North East.”
Scottish Tory North East MSP Douglas Lumsden said the resignation was a “devastating verdict” of Sir Keir’s “reckless and economically illiterate plans to decimate the North Sea oil and gas industry”.
He added: “It beggars belief that the UK Labour leader has pressed ahead with his plans that would throw tens of thousands of North East workers under a bus.
“That sums up why Keir Starmer was in hiding earlier this week and outlined his plans to betray the North East in Edinburgh rather than Aberdeen.
“When senior figures in his own party like Barney Crockett are leaving Labour because of how much damage their plans would do to the North East, Keir Starmer and Anas Sarwar should pay attention.”
